When shopping for wireless speakers, there are a few things to watch out for to avoid unwanted surprises and to ensure that you are getting the best bang for the buck. I am going to give some guidelines to follow when choosing the perfect speaker.
Wireless speakers are tempting since they eliminate the speaker cable and do away with having an external amplifier. Just imagine setting up a pair of speakers at your patio in the blink of an eye without a big cable mess or sending music wireless throughout your home. Since wireless speakers have a built-in amplifier, they require power. Most models will plug into an outlet and thereby are able to offer medium to high power to drive the speaker elements. Some speakers come with rechargeable batteries. The plus side is that these can be placed anywhere even in places without a power outlet. The downside is that after each use these have to be recharged. Also, some models are fairly heavy making it hard to move them around. Batteries also tend to age and need to be replaced every so often.
Be sure to select a speaker to offers adequate audio power for yor application. If you are planning to set up your speakers in your kitchen or bedroom, you can choose a fairly low-powered speaker. On the other hand, if you are planning to set up wireless speakers outdoors or in your home theater, you may want to have a look at moderate to high output power speakers. It is also important to contemplate the type of material of the speaker enclosure. If you are planning to use the speakers outdoors, make sure you pick speakers with a waterproof enclosure. The material would in most cases by some type of plastic. Make sure to consult the manufacturer to make sure the speaker which you are planning to buy is suitable for outdoor use.
Next, be sure that the transmitter unit can connect to the source audio that you want to drive your speakers with. Obviously the more audio inputs the transmitter has the better. If you want to connect your transmitter to your surround system, you may need speaker terminal inputs unless your surround equipment offers line level audio for your rear speakers. If you have an iPod or iPhone you may want to pick a transmitter with a built-in iPod cradle. Most transmitters will at least have a line-level audio input. Ideally the audio input can be adjusted in volume such that the transmitter can adapt to different audio sources.
Wireless speakers typically employ either analog or digital wireless audio transmission. Analog transmission typically at 900 MHz uses a method which is similar to FM radio. Digital wireless speakers use a transmission which is more similar to sending the contents of a CD as data and normally transmit at 2.4 GHz or 5.8 GHz. By transmitting audio as data, noise and distortion which are common problems of analog audio transmission are eliminated. With the growing number of wireless gadgets, there is more and more wireless interference. Modern wireless speakers typically utilize some sort of error correction scheme. This method allows the speakers to be able to tolerate interference without audio dropouts.
When buying speakers, a listening test is always a good idea. However, keep in mind that the sound quality will also depend on your environment. However, rather than buying a new set of speakers, another option is to go with a wireless speaker kit and make your existing speakers wireless by attaching a wireless receiver unit to each speaker.
Wireless speakers are tempting since they eliminate the speaker cable and do away with having an external amplifier. Just imagine setting up a pair of speakers at your patio in the blink of an eye without a big cable mess or sending music wireless throughout your home. Since wireless speakers have a built-in amplifier, they require power. Most models will plug into an outlet and thereby are able to offer medium to high power to drive the speaker elements. Some speakers come with rechargeable batteries. The plus side is that these can be placed anywhere even in places without a power outlet. The downside is that after each use these have to be recharged. Also, some models are fairly heavy making it hard to move them around. Batteries also tend to age and need to be replaced every so often.
Be sure to select a speaker to offers adequate audio power for yor application. If you are planning to set up your speakers in your kitchen or bedroom, you can choose a fairly low-powered speaker. On the other hand, if you are planning to set up wireless speakers outdoors or in your home theater, you may want to have a look at moderate to high output power speakers. It is also important to contemplate the type of material of the speaker enclosure. If you are planning to use the speakers outdoors, make sure you pick speakers with a waterproof enclosure. The material would in most cases by some type of plastic. Make sure to consult the manufacturer to make sure the speaker which you are planning to buy is suitable for outdoor use.
Next, be sure that the transmitter unit can connect to the source audio that you want to drive your speakers with. Obviously the more audio inputs the transmitter has the better. If you want to connect your transmitter to your surround system, you may need speaker terminal inputs unless your surround equipment offers line level audio for your rear speakers. If you have an iPod or iPhone you may want to pick a transmitter with a built-in iPod cradle. Most transmitters will at least have a line-level audio input. Ideally the audio input can be adjusted in volume such that the transmitter can adapt to different audio sources.
Wireless speakers typically employ either analog or digital wireless audio transmission. Analog transmission typically at 900 MHz uses a method which is similar to FM radio. Digital wireless speakers use a transmission which is more similar to sending the contents of a CD as data and normally transmit at 2.4 GHz or 5.8 GHz. By transmitting audio as data, noise and distortion which are common problems of analog audio transmission are eliminated. With the growing number of wireless gadgets, there is more and more wireless interference. Modern wireless speakers typically utilize some sort of error correction scheme. This method allows the speakers to be able to tolerate interference without audio dropouts.
When buying speakers, a listening test is always a good idea. However, keep in mind that the sound quality will also depend on your environment. However, rather than buying a new set of speakers, another option is to go with a wireless speaker kit and make your existing speakers wireless by attaching a wireless receiver unit to each speaker.
About the Author:
Gunter Fellbaum has been designing audio and electronic products for over a decade. You can find additional information regarding outdoor cordless speakers from Amphony's website.